


Big Iron

by annerwhatever



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Guns, Hate to Love, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Post-breakup, Sad, duels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:21:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21783553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annerwhatever/pseuds/annerwhatever
Summary: he might have went on livin’ but he made one fatal slipwhen he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Big Iron

**Author's Note:**

> okay i don’t know why this exists but i’m lowkey likin this and i think it’s pretty okay so yeah hope u like this
> 
> the inspiration for the fic, the title, and the summary all come from the song ‘big iron’ by marty robbins

_ “Harry, you’ll never abandon me and leave me for dead, right?” _

_ “No, never. You can trust me on that one, Lou.” _

Loud boots pounded against every wall of stone in the area. Women quickly ushered their young sons out of the streets, away from the unwanted visitor. Harry didn’t blame them. He did carry a mighty big gun, right on his hip. 

He worked his way through the town, making his way into a lonely saloon, the bar inhabited by two lonely drunkards. 

Harry sat himself down at one of the stools, his metal heels and his gun clanking together noticeably. The bartender spared him one long glance, before returning to cleaning her glass. 

“I’m a ranger, sent down here from Arizona. I’ve been put under orders to bring an outlaw back, dead or alive. Do any of y’all know the whereabouts of a Texas Red?”

The woman stared the ranger down, placing down her glass. 

“Now, boy. The only ones who know where Red is are the souls of those who tried to get him down before. Don’t you go looking for Texas Red, I’ve warned ya.”

“Madam, I’ve been placed under orders to take Texas Red back to Arizona to serve his time. Do you know anyone who could help me track him down?”

“Boy, do you know how many lives that dastardly Texas Red has taken? Well, I can tell you, that number’s 20. You’re still young. Don’t go after Red.” 

_ “Harry, have you ever seen a moon so bright?” _

_ “With you by my side, nothing else seems quite as bright.” _

_ “Always such a charmer, my darlin’. Ah, I love you for it, I do.” _

_ “Only telling the truth, my love. You’re all the stars and all the sun combined.” _

“Psst! Texas, ya still in there?”

Louis rolled his eyes, approaching his window with a bored look. 

“Whatsit? Got me something?”

“No, but there’s gossip running ‘round town. There’s another ranger here for you, all the way from Arizona.”

Louis’ heartbeat ceased in his chest. 

“He’s young, and he’s got courage for miles. And Lord, should you see his pistol!”

He felt the phantom experience of lips on the column of his throat and slender fingers curled around his wrists. 

“Let him come. Let him see who’s the better shot. Y’all should get your answer soon enough.”

_ “Harry.” _

_ “Louis.” _

_ “Darlin’, I didn’t mean to go out again.” _

_ “No, but that’s exactly what you did anyway, isn’t it?” _

_ “Harry, darlin’, sometimes the right to live just has to be fought for like that. I know you don’t like it, but I ain’t got much of a choice.” _

_ “I can’t stand behind you and your habits, hun.” _

_ “I know. But you can lay with me until mornin’.” _

Harry didn’t know how he managed to find Texas Red so quickly. He ignored the part of his mind that screamed at him, ‘You love him! Only you could find him because you love him!’ 

All he truly knew was that himself and Texas Red himself were barely 3 feet away from each other. 

And, Lord. Doesn’t he look exactly as gorgeous as Harry left him. 

His hair was longer, and there were scars littering his face, and my, Harry did that, didn’t he?

Harry swallowed his emotions and his pent up feelings, curling his fingers into his palms. He was here on duty. He didn’t have the time to stop.

“Harry.”

“Texas.” Louis gritted his teeth, placing his drink down harshly. 

“Forgot my name, huh,  _ darlin’ _ ?” Harry tried to block out the pain he felt when Louis used that name again. “I mean that little to you? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. Not like you cared anymore when we were together.” 

Harry’s inner dam cracked under the pressure.

“That’s a lie, you know it is. I remember your name mighty well, no matter how hard I try to forget, Louis.”

Louis’ blue eyes boiled like they’ve been sitting under the summer sun for hours. 

“You remember my name alright, but you don’t remember me.” 

Harry valiantly fought the tears pooling behind his eyes. 

“I’m here on a job.”

“Oh right, your job. Well, instead of that boring old shit, how about we duel? I’d love to put a bullet right through your curly little head.” Harry kept his face completely straight. 

“Right then, if that’s what it takes. I’ll have you dead by two nights time.” 

Louis looked him up and down, nodding his head. Harry turned to leave, before he felt a tugging on his hand. 

He didn’t expect to meet Louis’ eyes full of pain and love. He opened his mouth to speak, before abruptly closing it. Harry’s stoicism faltered for a half second. 

“I’ll find you again tomorrow, darlin’. We’re on for Saturday morning.” With that, Louis pressed his lips to Harry’s hand. Harry noticed how rough his lips felt. 

Harry let out a gasping breath, exhaling three words past his mask. “I love you.”

Louis glanced up at him, a tear already rolling down his cheek from the great big pools that sat in his eyes. 

“I’ll always love you, my Harry darlin’.”

_ “Harry, I told you that sometimes people just have to do things to survive.” _

_ “No, Louis! This is different, this is murder!” _

_ “Harry, he was after me! You have to understand that, he had to die!” _

_ “He wouldn’t have been after you if you hadn’t become an outlaw in the first place! And, God, imagine what my father would think if he found us gallivanting out here together?” _

_ “Is that what you’re worried about? Your  _ father _ ?! Alrighty then. I see where your priorities lie, then.” _

_ “Good, it’s about fuckin’ time.” _

_ “Damn you, Harry Styles. I’m going to bed. Come join me when you feel up to it.” _

“Louis?” Harry hasn’t sounded that small in years. Not since he was a bright eyed cherub at 16 years old. 

He heard loud shuffling approach the croaky old door, the door swinging open quickly. 

He was pulled inside just as quick, strong arms wrapping around his waist and thin lips pressing against his own. 

Harry gasped into Louis’ mouth, cupping the older man’s jaw with both of his hands. 

Louis was the first to pull away, panting as if he had been running for miles (which wasn’t exactly untrue), and placed his head in the crook of Harry’s neck. 

“My Lord, how I’ve missed the taste of your lips.”

Harry inhaled sharply, feeling tears sting his eyes. What was he doing here?

“I still have to take you back to Arizona, Louis.”

“That don’t matter to me, as long as I’m with you.” 

Harry’s walls fell to the ground like raindrops in a summer afternoon. He surged forward, pinning Louis against the nearest walls and taking the outlaw’s lips for himself once more. 

Louis ran his lips over the pale column of Harry’s throat, breathing deeply. 

“Harry, one last time.” Louis pressed a chaste kiss to Harry’s exposed collarbone. 

“Take me to the stars, one last time.”

_ “Harry.” _

_ “Louis.” _

_ “How are you feeling?” _

_ “How am I feeling? Am I supposed to be feeling bad?” _

_ “Ah, I forgot. You’re young still, my darlin’.” _

_ “That has nothing to do with it. I can’t be unhappy when I’m with you.” _

_ “Not ever?” _

_ “Never.” _

“Harry.”

“Texas.” Harry hadn’t slept the night before. He was busy rebuilding his walls for this moment. 

His gun felt heavy in his hands, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Louis. 

Dressed in what looked like a new jacket and boots, he truly looked like a king. Except for his love-tousled hair, which he left in artificial curls on his head.

Harry’s grip tightens uncomfortably. He lowered his hat over his forehead. 

Louis nods at him, his eyes forlorn and distant, and he turned on his heel. Harry did the same.

He heard a crowd of people counting to 10, but he didn’t react. 

_ 7 _

_ 8 _

_ 9 _

_ 10  _

Harry swiftly turned and shot a single bullet from his pistol, almost robotically. Louis fell to the ground limply. Harry was so attached to the image of Louis on the ground due to his hand that he barely noticed that his own shot was the only one that rang through the air. 

Harry felt his knees buckle, but he continued to stand straight. 

The crowd was silent in awe and fear of the visitor who came and killed their only demon. They let him go when he lifted the body of Texas Red and began walking to the front of town. 

Women watched as this attractive young man carried the outlaw gently, as if he were a babe, and gently sat him down in the small wooden cart that was attached to his horse. 

They didn’t watch, however, when Harry placed a soft kiss upon Louis’ forehead, or when Harry placed his head on the outlaw’s chest and began weeping quietly. 

Harry stood back up tall, though. He climbed onto the back of his horse, and he slowly began riding out of the town. He still had a job to finish. 

**Author's Note:**

> my entire inspiration for this was literally the thought “big iron but make it gay” and i thought all of you should know this


End file.
